OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I currently use AK47 rubbers on both sides having just got back into the game.I have a nice lightweight blade but feel the rubbers are rather heavy.Any suggestions for rubbers with similar playing charactistics but lighter in weight.Similar price would be nice.

I would look into Friendship/729 rubbers - Focus 3 Snipe, probably.

Hi,

I'm assuming that you're currently using the old/original Palio AK47.... The newer variants, ie. AK47 Red, Yellow Sponge, Blue are a lot lighter... The Yellow Sponge, is the heaviest of the 3, but is still lighter than the old/original AK47.

The newer Red, Yellow, Blue variants, differ in speed, and hardness... Red, being the hardest and fastest, and Blue being the softest. Yellow sits between the Red & Yellow... I've tried the Yellow, and Blue, and I quite like both, as long as they're paired with a blades that're on the stiffer side...

I second Ziv's suggestion of the Focus III Snipe... It comes in different sponge hardness... I'm using one (On another setup) that has a sponge hardness of 39° - 41° ...

You could also check-out various rubbers by LKT/KLT, Yinhe, and other Chinese brands... They all have inexpensive, and some light-weight options.

Just be mindful that a light rubber will not play the same as a heavy one. Usually the light ones have a softer sponge, which will play differently.

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Yasaka Shining Dragon is a mid-hard rubber but much lighter than Chinese stuff. Only problem is removing rubber from blade ... you HAVE TO USE Nailpolish Remover or Acetone to remove it, else the topsheet will separate from the sponge from the slightest tension of pulling it.

Go for 729 OEM ... or 729 SuperFX ( FX-C if u want slower ).

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Thanks folks- my current AK47 has red/peach sponge and yellow sponge. Perhaps I will just change the yellow sponge for something different.

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=25211

Lightweight? Try KTL Green Dragon. That is one radically light rubber. Also 868 is a little lighter than normal (but it's got 2.0mm sponge rather than 2.2, despite what it says on the package).

Iskandar

Change your AK to the blue version. Will play similar but one of the lightest rubbers there is.

Sounds like the old AK47, actually.

Blue is lighter? I dunno...

Palio AK47 Blue
red 60.99g 168x168mm 0.216g/cm^2

Not THAT light. Plenty of lighter Chinese sheets. These are light:

KTL Pro-XT "Green Dragon"
black 47.77g 163x167mm 0.177g/cm^2
KTL Pro-XT
black 53.23g 166x168mm 0.193g/cm^2

Iskandar

That's odd (or is it ? given how inconsistent some these Chinese products are) ... If I recollect correctly, mine weighed around 53 gms. uncut... Could not weigh, just the rubber, post cutting, since it's glued to the blade, and then cut. But, we could shave-off a min. of 8-10gms (I have a larger blade head).. So, at less than 45gms cut, I'd say, it's still quite light, comparatively. Then, if the weight:performance, is taken into consideration, the rubber is well worth-it

It's not just "Chinese products" that are inconsistent. Have a look in Haggis's rubber sheet weight database (kinda too lazy to get you a URL right now) and you'll see that even expensive Japanese and German sheets vary a lot in weight. German sheets can be pretty heavy, too. Only a year or so ago people were complaining that Nexy Karis sheets had HUGE weight differences, and that's a $50 sheet.

Iskandar

Tempted to try some KTL XT as they are pennies on Aliexpress!
Sadly I think QC is a major problem with cheaper items of any description these days.

I've used Tuttle Beijing 4, and found it a ridiculously good rubber for such a cheap price. If you're in the mood to try something different...

Actually, I'd say MOST Chinese rubbers are of really good quality. There ARE a few with QC problems, most notably those KTL Gold Star sheets I bought a couple years back. And Palio - the new AK47s seem OK quality wise but their older sheets were really hit and miss. Prices are low because - well, Chinese goods can be made at a low price for various reasons. Which is why Apple makes its I-Phones in China.

Iskandar

Personally, I've bought loads of Chinese rubbers/blades/balls, and have almost never faced issues with the blades nor rubbers.. My statement is based, mostly on feedback from clubmates, and/or other players... More recently, with the 729 Focus III Snipe rubber... I have one (Black 39°-41°), and there's nothing wrong with it, and it plays amazing. .. On the other hand, a fellow club-mate bought the same one in Red, around the same time, and it plays kind of weird - The ball seems to just slip of the rubber...

I've found major inconsistencies with the balls - More recently, with DHS D40+ (Ding Ning on the box) ... I bought a box of 10, around a week back, which seems to look and play, differently from lots, I had purchased 3-6 months back... The newer lot balls, seem whiter, have more bounce (here, I find inconsistencies within balls of the same lot itself), and feel heavier..